Valley of Blood
by D-chan
Summary: eventual Sanzo x Goku :: AU, likely OOCness, language, mild violence :: Under strange circumstances he took in an even stranger boy. The language barrier should have driven him away, but... [in progress]
1. The Possessed Child

**:: ****Valley**** of ****Blood**** ::**

_Gensomaden__ Saiyuki_

Disclaimer: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki, which rightfully belongs to Minekura Kazuya.

Rating: PG

Pairings: eventual Sanzo/Goku

Warnings: AU, likely OOCness, language, mild violence

Thanks to: Chrysan for helping me with Sanzo's... er... occupation. Again. ^^; This guy certainly _does_ seem intent on giving me trouble, doesn't he?

Notes: The first chapter for my first Saiyuki epic. Yay! ^_^;

The idea came to me through a random drawing I did. It was just a collage picture of the four Saiyuki boys, but it was oddly inspiring and I hoped to think of a story to go with the image. Now I sort of have-sort of. ^^; I also thought, "Hey, I can submit this under the AU category in Avmina's contest." So this is also going to be an entry to her contest-if I can finish it by the deadline. Hopefully I can.

I also have a ton of one-shots I want to work on aside from this, so… er… please be patient. Updates will be few and far between. ^^; I hope this ends up being a successful fic.

So far the only pairing I _know_ I'm going to establish is Sanzo/Goku, but I'm also hoping to take a try and Gojyo/Hakkai. I'm not positive, though, so… just keep an eye open for surprises. ^^;

I'm done rambling. Constructive criticism and feedback are - as always - appreciated. ^_^

Chapter One: The Possessed Child

The surroundings were so beautiful that any artist would have stopped in his tracks just to gaze around in admiration. After all, who could resist the alluring blend of reds, oranges, and yellows as the sun slowly set in the east? The road was unpaved and rocky, a strip of brown weaving through the lush grass. Dandelions that had been in bloom only minutes before were slowly closing as they seemed to realize that nightfall was soon to come. The entire land was bathed in a sea of pastels, rich and vibrant and bright in colour. Even the far mountains held a certain kind of beauty. Barren as they really were, their colours seemed to thrive in the setting sun, proudly showing off the rich, earthy hues that easily blended in with everything else. A few birds flitted around here and there, most getting ready to settle for a peaceful night's sleep in their nests.

It was truly a magnificent sight, the very picture of Mother Nature's pride and joy... and there wasn't a single person around that could appreciate it.

That wasn't to say the land was unoccupied. One man was there, a man and his horse. The horse was a strong brown-and-white Appaloosa. This particular breed of horse was very convenient for his current job; it was fast, gentle, and had remarkable endurance. It could run all day and night if needed, making it perhaps the perfect steed. Maybe the horse was appreciating the natural beauty around it; it would look around and snort its appraisal every once in a while before being gently kicked back into moving.

It was the rider that didn't seem to have an eye for art. His gaze was level, focused only on the road ahead, his eyes narrow and hard. Often he would reach up to push windswept hair from his eyes. Despite the strip of white cloth used to tie back his hair, his bangs were too short to be pulled back, but still so long that they fell in his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair again.

Judging from the dimming light, he knew night was going to fall a long time before he reached the next town. That was fine. He wasn't _that _tired. His horse had endurance, and it had rested well the night before. It could last another few hours-- and if not, then he had underestimated its strength. He didn't like to think he'd misjudge something.

Pressing his heels into the horse's sides, he switched his grip on the reigns. The nearest town was only a little ways away, and if they moved all night they could make it there by morning. Then he and the horse could rest, and _then_ he could continue his search.

Perhaps it was because of growing fatigue, or perhaps it was simply the sounds of animals in the nearby forest. Whatever it was, he could have sworn he heard a constant murmur in the back of his head, a faint pleading sound that begged for his help and attention. It seemed to grow louder as the night went on.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The man gave it no more thought until he reached the village.

Tevhesta was a small but busy town. It was the sort of place where word got around quickly, where one person knew their neighbor as well as themselves, where secrets of the village were just that-- secrets of the village. They didn't get many newcomers. There was only one inn because of the lack of visitors, and that was hardly prosperous, and even then it only barely managed to stay on its foundations because of visiting families that couldn't stay with their relatives. Most of those families were daughters and sons or brothers and sisters coming back to visit their home.

That was why he stuck out. If his unfamiliar face didn't draw attention, then his attire certainly did. Boots made from the hide of dragon, pants mended well and made of black leather, a clinging black top that did nothing to hide a lean but strong physique, long black gloves, and to top it all off, a cape clipped to broad shoulder guards with silver clasps. He even carried a sword on his belt, something very uncommon and strange to the townspeople. He was a startling contrast to the plainly dressed villagers and was obviously a Very Important Person on a Very Important Mission.

It was so early in the morning that he was too tired and cranky to deal with other people. He had his trustworthy steed locked in the stables and paused only to ask how much it would cost and where the nearest inn was. He was kindly directed to the only one. His thanks was brief but sincere. He paid the morning stable boy and left.

He knew he was drawing stares from the townspeople. He knew they were fascinated, in awe of, and afraid of him. Honestly, he didn't care, so long as they didn't try to speak to him. Socializing wasn't one of his strong points, though he _did_ have an uncanny knack for working information out of people. His methods could range from subtle to violent depending on his mood and on the situation.

The inn was soon in sight. Not once did he pause in his swift strides, concerned only with getting inside, lying down, and having a decent rest before work later on. After all, he wasn't asking for anything more than he believed he deserved. That was why his irritation was quickly fueled at the sudden commotion.

People were shouting excitedly, their cries incomprehensible due to the sheer mass amount of them. The man scowled, biting back a low growl of irritation. He tried to ignore the shouting, but when even the innkeeper ran out so see what was going on he didn't think he'd have a choice in the matter. Besides, there was the slight chance that he would already find what he was looking for.

That was a hopeful prospect. The chance was slim, yes, but even slim chances were worth taking. He changed his direction toward the town square where the villagers were gathering. He began to pick out bits and pieces of what they were saying as he walked.

"... I saw! They finally captured it!"

"After so long..."

"The poor guy..."

"... the priests couldn't purge it..."

When he finally got to see what they were talking about, he was filled with a deep sense of disgust-- partially because of what the villagers had done, and partially because of the appearance of the... the _thing_ they had captured.

He honestly wasn't sure what else to call it. Five men were struggling beneath the weight of an iron cage, and inside that iron cage was an animal. Or at least, that was his first impression. The men dropped the cage to the ground with a deafening _clang_! He cringed unintentionally and pushed ahead of the crowd, not caring that he was being rude. He ignored the enraged outbursts.

Something was howling and scrabbling around inside of the cage. Dirty, bloodied hands clawed at the bars, shaking them furiously and kicking at the other end of its prison. One of the men carrying the cage got scratched by the furious hands before he could move away in time. His cry only seemed to make the villagers' excitement swell. The being within the cage snarled furiously, screaming wordless furies at the humans that dared imprison him.

"It's wild and!"

"Not even the sorcerers could tame it!"

"Did you see what it just did to Alidre?"

"Kill it!"

The last cry brought a sudden silence, then a roar of cries. "_Yes, kill it! There's no other choice! Kill it!_"

The man was prepared to turn and walk away since the crowd seemed to have reached their decision, but something made him hesitate. The voice that had been silenced so quickly the night before was awake again.

_            didn't do it_

He glanced sharply at the being within the cage, watching it thrash around and scream and holler. It couldn't be that this inhuman thing was calling out to him. Besides, he was far from psychic; he wasn't capable of hearing silent calls. He was just a knight out to retrieve a wanted man. He didn't have the time to waste picking up unwanted baggage.

            _please believe me i didn't do it it wasn't me i don't understand_

He could hear the sound of swords being drawn. They were about to kill this thing anyway, so why bother staying? He turned and took a couple of steps before the voice suddenly exploded into panic.

            _what are they doing what's going on where are you_

_                        don't go find me findmefindmeWHEREAREYOUWHEREWHEREWHERE_

Normally he wasn't one to react without thinking, but this seemed to be a special case. Something within him snapped. He whirled around, shoving aside the nearest person. Now the cries were a mixture of excitement over their to-be kill and anger at his rudeness. He barely heard them over the pounding in his ears and the screaming in his head, screaming that was terrified and so very different from the enraged screams of the thing in the cage.

And yet he knew, without a doubt, that _thing_ was the one calling out to him.

It was annoying.

He also wasn't one to raise his voice or resort to violent actions so quickly. He was short-tempered, but nearly so much as he was right now. Perhaps it was a mixture of the annoying villagers and the screams that weren't his own, echoing inside his head like the screams of a dying person locked in the depths of a torture dungeon...

A violent shudder overtook him, only managing to anger him further. He delivered a good solid kick to the cage at the same time he bellowed:

"_Shut the hell up!_"

The silence that followed was barely even that; there was still some shouting behind him, but in front of him the animalistic shrieks had ceased completely. _That_ silence was roaring, and it took the idiotic villagers too long to realize it.

He glared down at the being in the cage. It had stopped its frantic movements and was staring up at him in surprise. Its appearance was that of a boy, a boy that looked very cramped and uncomfortable in that cage once his movements had stopped. Long, disheveled brown hair hung in dirty strands around him, reaching as far down as his waist and falling into his eyes. His eyes were the most startling thing about him; a bright, demonic shade of gold that gleamed richly in the morning sunlight.

The screaming voice within his head had stopped. There was a soft whisper:

_            you're here_

before it slowly faded. It didn't die completely, but it had been temporarily silenced. He was admittedly curious as to what was going on, but none of his confusion showed through his cold stare. The boy didn't seem put off at all. He clung to the bars, staring up at him through the gleaming iron in something akin to awe, as though he were seeing a human being for the first time.

Who was this child?

The shouts had quieted and now there was a sea of murmurs. He was momentarily jolted back to reality, but the imaginary ropes tugging him snapped with ease simply by a twitch from the boy. All it had been was a slight movement from his hand. Without tearing his eyes away, the boy slowly raised his hand, fingers outstretched toward the man before him. Without thinking he was reaching back, forgetting that the boy was dirty and bloody, forgetting about the townspeople around them...

Which proved to be a mistake.

"Be careful!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Don't touch him!"

The last exclamation was followed by a sharp howl of pain. The boy fell back, clutching his arm to his chest. Fresh blood spurted from a new cut.

His reactions were instinctive, done without giving the consequences a single thought. It was the second time that had happened, and already he was vaguely unnerved by it. It wasn't like him to be so impulsive. He grasped the sword at his side, swinging it out with an airy _swoosh_ and stopping just before it sliced the villager's head off. Women screamed. A trickle of blood ran down the metallic blade. His glare was cold.

"Tell me," he said softly, his dark voice cutting through the noise easily. "What this animal did that he deserves to be killed."

The villager was pale and stuttering. "H-he killed... so m-many p-people... he's w-wild, can't you see?!"

He glanced sideways at the child in the cage. Gone were the eerie animal screams and thrashings, instead leaving him looking like a dirty, abused little boy with unnaturally bright eyes. It was the golden eyes that made him so intimidating-- supposedly. He honestly couldn't see what was so frightening about them. Right then they simply looked angry and hurt.

Scoffing, he sheathed his sword. "I see nothing dangerous about him. Release him."

Anger exploded. "Who are _you_, a _foreigner_, to tell _us_--"

The emphases were irritating. He scowled, narrowing his eyes in a way he knew sent chills down most people's spines. People were pathetic that way; pushovers.

"Release him or I'll do it for you."

No one said anything; no one made a move to do as requested. Rolling his eyes, he turned back to the boy in the cage. This time it was he that reached out first, his voice unnaturally soft as he spoke.

"You might as well come with me, unless you'd rather die here so pathetically."

It should have seemed odd that the boy didn't hesitate. Even though he had just been attacked for attempting to do what he was doing now, even with the gash on his arm wide open and bleeding, he stuck his arm between the bars and reached out to clasp the man's hand. The grip was slick because of blood, but both somehow managed to keep a firm grasp on the other.

When he pulled open the cage door, he met no resistance. Perhaps the lock had been rattled badly enough to break while the boy had struggled, or perhaps it hadn't even been locked properly in the first place. There was even the slightest possibility of a higher being having a hand in it. Unfortunately for them, he didn't believe in devine creatures or powers.

Even when he tried to let go, the boy didn't. He gripped his hand firmly, following him desperately. It was annoying, but he figured he could allow the boy to follow until they were in a safe region, away from the baffled and angry townspeople. Then he would turn the boy away and this moment would be forgotten forever.

He should have realized it wouldn't be that easy.

Once they reached the inn he shook the boy off. "All right," he said coldly. "They won't hurt you here. Get lost." The boy stared at him as though he didn't understand. Growling beneath his breath, he made a few gestures that obviously meant _go away_ no matter what language the person spoke. "Go. Now."

Still the boy stared. Shaking his head in disgust, he turned to go inside. He made it halfway across the threshold before a tug stopped him. He yanked his cape from the golden eyed child's grasp. "What do you _want_?" he demanded, his patience quickly slipping away again. This day was not starting out too well...

"_Namae__ ka?_"

He frowned, now more confused than irritated-- though he was still quite a bit annoyed. "What?"

The boy also frowned, but he looked more thoughtful. He opened his mouth, closed it, glanced down at his feet, then looked up again with a wide grin. He pointed to himself. "_Ore__ wa... Son Goku. Goku._" Then tilted his head, pointing at the man. "_Omae__?_"

He couldn't understand the words, but it was easy to tell that the boy was introducing himself and wanted to know his name. "Goku?" he repeated. The boy nodded happily.

He didn't care. He really didn't. But Goku was looking up at him so curiously; he seemed desperate to find out who his saviour was. He rolled his eyes before glaring down at the boy. "If I tell you, will you get the hell out of my sight?" All he received was a blank stare, so he gave in. He made a quick gesture to himself. "Genjo Sanzo."

"San... zo?"

"That's right."

Goku beamed happily and eagerly leapt forward, grasping two handfuls of Sanzo's cape even though he had just been shaken off a few moments ago. "_Tomatte__ yo!_"

Once again Sanzo had no idea what the boy was saying, but this time he got a severe attack of cold chills. Somehow he didn't think he'd be getting rid of the clingy brat anytime soon.

Securing a room for the night wasn't easy. Even if he hadn't had the boy bouncing around him in all different directions, Sanzo was dead certain he would have had a difficult time trying to convince the innkeeper to let him stay. It ended up with him muttering various promises to take full responsibility for whatever destruction the supposed demon child caused.

He _had_ been able to find out a little bit about the boy, though. When he demanded to know why the innkeeper was being so hostile, he got a more thorough explanation than he had asked for. But cut down in size, it was simply that the villagers believed that a demon had possessed the boy and had forced him to kill several townspeople the other day. However, no priest or sorcerer had been able to purge the demon from the child, and the boy had ended up escaping. Just that morning he had been captured and brought back so they could decide what to do with them. Obviously they had been planning murder from the beginning, seeing how so many men had been armed with swords.

"Wait," Sanzo said, frowning. "What do you mean, he killed a lot of people?"

The innkeeper sighed. "It was a horrible thing. A group of townspeople were killed at the local tavern a couple days ago. It was awful, I tell you. Their bodies were beaten beyond belief, bloody, torn up... not just the men, but some women, too. There were no children involved, since it was at the tavern, so that was fortunate enough."

"And that kid did it?"

The innkeeper hesitated. "Well... only two people escaped the incident alive before the killer ran off, but one of 'em said that the boy did it. He gave a very accurate description; fit the kid perfectly. Said he was looking for his parents and just... exploded."

"Exploded?"

"Into a rage. Started attacking and killing people. Left behind a huge mess and a lot of unhappy families."

The whole story gave Sanzo a headache, as did the arguing over booking a vacant room. After nearly an hour he finally got what he wanted and went upstairs, intent on sleeping.

Of course, Goku decided to follow him. Sanzo briefly wondered how long it was going to take to shed the brat. Hopefully not long. He had a mission to complete and this boy would just be a hindrance.

"_Na_, Sanzo... _doko__ desu ka?_"

And _why_ did the little pest keep talking to him in a foreign language? Couldn't he see that Sanzo had no idea what he was saying?

It made little sense to pay attention to a question he didn't understand. Sanzo ignored the boy. He didn't stop walking until he had reached his room-- and when Goku scrambled inside after him, he couldn't help but explode. He whirled on the boy, ready to knock some sense into him. "_Why--are--you--following--me_?" he snarled, ready to deliver a sound punch to the brat's head.

Goku flinched at his rough tone but didn't move. He made a frantic gesture with his hand that Sanzo couldn't even hope to translate. When Goku realized this, he tried speaking at the same time-- which only made Sanzo even more confused and irritated.

And for some reason, Goku's panicking made his desire to knock the boy senseless diminish. Sighing heavily, Sanzo walked past Goku and to the bed. He sat down and kicked off his boots, quickly unclasping his shoulder guards and then removing his sword from his belt. Just a quick nap, he reasoned, and then he would work.

That is, he would if he could get the stupid boy to get lost. Sanzo highly doubted he'd have much luck interrogating such a tightly-stitched town with the supposedly demon-possessed boy lurking around.

Goku was tugging on his arm. "Sanzo... _nemuru__ ka?_"

Sanzo opened his mouth to tell the boy to shut up, hoping that the force behind the words would give the boy a hint, when he realized that he had completely overlooked Goku's condition earlier. He had noticed the boy was a mess, of course, but he'd forgotten all about cleaning him up. If the cuts were left open like that he might get an infection.

_And I just don't want a dead person on my conscience,_ he told himself. Muttering curses beneath his breath, Sanzo shoved his boots back on and grasped the boy by his long hair, tugging him toward the door. "Come on, brat," he said, momentarily forgetting that he was talking to himself. "You're getting a bath."

It was easier said than done.

Sanzo noticed belatedly that Goku tracked dirt everywhere he walked. He growled before quickly deciding that he'd just have the pest clean up after himself later. Both trekked to the front desk, where Sanzo paused to ask where he could give the animal child a bath. The innkeeper was wary, but probably couldn't stand the sight or smell of Goku any longer than Sanzo could because he pointed them in the right direction with no arguments whatsoever. Sanzo nearly had to drag the boy to an outdoor bathhouse. It was nearly noon, so hardly anyone was there. That was fortunate.

When Goku saw the water, he frowned. "_Mizu__ ka?_"

Sanzo scowled back. "It's a bath."

Goku didn't seem to comprehend. He glanced from the large pool of water in the middle of the room, back to Sanzo, back to the water, and back to Sanzo. "_Nani__?_"

The question in his voice was unmistakable, even if the word was. Rolling his eyes, Sanzo grasped the boy's hair and abruptly proceeded to undress him. Goku gave a startled yelp before he put up a fight, yelling what most likely were insults in his language. After a lot of shouting and cursing, Sanzo finally managed to strip the boy down completely. Still keeping a firm grip on his hair, Sanzo dragged Goku to the side of the bath and shoved him into the water.

Goku fell in with a shriek and a splash. He resurfaced in moments, gasping and shivering. "_Ts-tsumetai!_" he stuttered. Sanzo guessed that meant he was cold.

"Yeah," he agreed dully. "Freezing, I'll bet." He strode forward and placed his hand on Goku's head, shoving him beneath the surface again. When the air bubbles started to disappear, he let the boy up again. Goku choked and spluttered but didn't scream this time. Perhaps he was getting used to the rough treatment.

Strange child.

Still coughing, the boy managed a half-hearted glare in his direction. "_Hidoi__ da yo!_"

"Hmph." Sanzo took a few steps back; there was nothing half-hearted in _his_ glare. "Shut up and wash up."

"_Nani__?_" Goku was finally sounding frustrated. He swiped at the water, sending liquid spraying over the side of the bath. "_Mou__, omae wa wakaranai da yo!_"

Unfortunately for Sanzo, he had been directly in line of the splash. He felt a vein pulse in his forehead and for the first time found himself wishing he had some sort of object he could use to knock some sense into the boy. Without thinking, he strode over to where the bathing supplies were kept, grabbed a car of soap, and tossed it at Goku.

"You _stupid_--!"

His insult was cut off at a clapping sound. Rather than hit the boy on the head, Goku had caught it within an inch of his face. He didn't even look surprised, simply curious as to why Sanzo had thrown it at him.

That disturbed Sanzo. _That brat... his reflexes are commendable._ His eyes narrowed. Perhaps this boy _would_ be worth observing for the time being. He still planned to dump the kid off somewhere else, but until then...

He shook his head. "Wash up," he repeated before stalking out to find a couple of dry towels.

Goku seemed to have put two and two together, because when Sanzo returned -- still damp and with clothes sticking to him, much to his annoyance -- he was furiously scrubbing the soap over his arms. He would flinch each time his hand touched the gash on his arm. Eventually the scab rubbed off and the boy started bleeding again. Sanzo actually had to clamp his wrist to get him to stop. "Knock that off, you idiot," he said crossly.

Goku blinked, tilting his head as though trying to comprehend the man's words. Scowling, Sanzo shoved him into a sitting position near the shallow end of the bath. "I can't believe you can't even take care of yourself," he muttered, making sure to rise the soap out of the boy's cut before he brought the arm up and dried it off. He tightened his grip. "Don't move," he ordered, hoping against hope that Goku would understand.

As he left to find some dry cloth, he realized how _caring_ he was acting. It was an uncomfortable idea and made him want to get rid of Goku that much quicker. How could he keep forgetting what a hindrance this was? He hadn't even slept for the past thirty-two hours!

_Damn. How annoying,_ he thought, searching his belongings for bandages. He knew basic first aid at least, and all he planned to do was wrap the cut. Hopefully Goku would have some common sense to leave it on until it was healed.

_The again, what do I care? Shit, let the stupid monkey get an infection and die for all I care._

Funny. That nickname had been unintended but sounded suitable. Monkey... the boy had too much energy for his own good. Stupid? There was no doubt he was an idiot, especially after he kept speaking in that unheard of language.

It suddenly struck Sanzo as odd that Goku had been associated with the villagers before the murder incident, yet he didn't speak the same language.

Another thought came to him. If Goku could only speak another language, then why was it Sanzo could understand the voice in his head? Was it possible that the one calling to him _hadn't_ been Goku? But then why would it have said _you're here_ and then fallen silent at just the right time? It didn't make any sense... unless there was a hidden entity involved.

Whatever the reasons, Sanzo was too tired and irritable to think about it right then. He made his way back to the bathhouse with the bandages in hand.

Much to his surprise, Goku looked as though he hadn't moved at all. His arm was hovering in mid-air, his gaze on the doorway where Sanzo had just reappeared. Once he saw the man come in he smiled broadly, looking relieved.

"_Yahari__! Kaeru da yo!_"

Though he had no hopes of translating _that_, Sanzo still felt uncomfortable. Goku's expression betrayed thoughts that didn't need to be translated, thoughts that clearly said the boy hadn't been expecting him to return.

Sanzo said nothing in response. He walked over to the boy and grasped his arm. The limb trembled slightly because Goku had been holding it up for so long, but relaxed in his grasp. Sanzo quickly and tightly wrapped the cloth around the arm. Even though the cut was only a couple of inches long, Sanzo wrapped it from the elbow to Goku's wrist. Once he was sure it would hold, he handed the soap back to Goku, stepped back, and watched.

Goku offered a lopsided, boyish smile. "_Arigotou_, Sanzo!"

Perhaps that meant thank you... or perhaps it was some random babbling. Either way, Sanzo just shrugged. Humming an unfamiliar tune, Goku quickly proceeded to wash the rest of himself, taking his sweet time and enjoying the bath until Sanzo was sure the water was cold.

He was tired and getting more irritable by the minute. If that brat didn't hurry up...

Why the hell was he waiting? If anything, he should have stolen the opportunity to get away from Goku. Disgusted with himself, Sanzo whirled around and left, ignoring Goku's puzzled calls. It didn't matter. He couldn't understand the kid anyway.

He was relieved to walk into his room and find it empty. Somehow he had half expected for Goku to somehow get there ahead of him. It was a ridiculous thought, but...

Now he was going to get some well-deserved rest. Too many thoughts spun in his head, making him dizzy and confused and unable to sort them out. Kicking off his boots, Sanzo collapsed onto the bed. It didn't even take a full minute for him to drift off, despite the sunlight beaming through the window. He turned away from it, closed his eyes, and was asleep in seconds.

            _where are you...?_

*

_Namae__ ka?_ – What's your name?

_Ore__ wa… Son Goku. Goku. Omae? – I am… Son Goku. Goku. And you?_

_Tomatte__ yo!_ – I'll stay with you forever!

_Na_, Sanzo... _doko__ desu ka?_ – Hey, Sanzo… where are we going?

Sanzo... _nemuru__ ka?_ – Sanzo… are you going to sleep?

_Mizu__ ka?_ – Water?

_Nani__? – What?_

_Ts-tsumetai!_ – C-cold!

_Hidoi__ da yo!_ – You're mean!

_Mou__, omae wa wakaranai da yo!_ – Geez, I don't understand you!

_Yahari__! Kaeru da yo!_ – I knew it! I knew you'd return!

_Arigotou_, Sanzo! – Thank you, Sanzo!

Those should be more accurate than the ones in the first version. Thanks Mina-sensei and UltraM2000. ^^


	2. A God's Luck

**:: ****Valley**** of ****Blood**** :****:**

_Gensomaden__ Saiyuki_

Disclaimer: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki, which rightfully belongs to Minekura Kazuya.

Rating: PG

Pairings: eventual Sanzo/Goku, hinted Gojyo/Hakkai

Warnings: AU, likely OOCness, language

Thanks to: Mina-sensei, UltraM2000, and everyone else for helping with my Japanese in the previous chapter. It was muchly appreciated.

Notes: Hm. Originally I hadn't intended for Gojyo and Hakkai to make an appearance so early, but it just kinda… fit here. ^^; I don't have much practice writing either of them (obviously ^^;) so I apologize if they're more out-of-character than anyone else.

Chapter two! With much fun, joy, and hinted shounen ai. I don't have much to say for once, so… sit back and enjoy, I suppose. Constructive criticism, feedback, and corrections in my Japanese are always appreciated. ^^;;

Chapter Two: A God's Luck

_The combined smell of oil and blood sickened him, made his knees feel too weak to support his weight. Somehow, miraculously, he managed to stagger his way down the stairs. Each scream made him cringe, and each cringe made him angry. He had to be stronger than this... no, he _was_ stronger than this. He was..._

_There was a loud, sharp crack. Then another scream. A heavier stench of blood and raw flesh._

_The screams grew increasingly familiar. His surroundings passed by him faster and faster, until he realized that he was running. His lungs burned. His legs felt as though the skin had been scraped off the muscle, aching and shrieking with pain._

_Crack. Scream. Crack. Scream. Crack. Scream._

_A splatter of thick crimson..._

_Scream._

_This time the scream was his._

When he opened his eyes, Sanzo was sure he was a split second away from being blinded. There was no sunlight, just weak candlelight that came from the nearby nightstand. No, those colours were soft and orange, pleasant to look at. It was the pair of twin golden orbs gleaming down at him that made him think he was about to be blinded.

Goku was hovering over him, dark eyebrows stitched with worry as he peered down. His hands rested on either side of the blonde's head. His hair was messy, falling over his shoulders and into Sanzo's face. At least it was clean.

Sanzo found that he couldn't do anything but stare. Something about the way brown and almost silver flecks blended with the gold as the irises swirled down to the pupils was enticing. They drew him in like twin glasses of fantasy gold wine. They were meant to be drunk in slowly, were meant to hypnotize and make him feel weightless. He felt as though he were falling despite the bed beneath him and the boy above him; he was oblivious to the surprised expression that transformed childish features. All he could see were the amazingly expressive, open eyes floating above him.

"Sanzo?"

The utterance of his name shattered the moment. Sanzo closed his eyes, cursing himself for letting the brat catch him in such a vulnerable position.

"_Na,_ Sanzo... _akumu__ da?_"

Grunting softly, Sanzo shoved the boy away from him; Goku stumbled but didn't quite fall. Sitting up, Sanzo brushed hair from his eyes. "Damn it," he muttered, glancing outside. He'd overslept a lot longer than he had intended. "Damn."

He had been planning on searching around early evening, just before dinnertime. People were in a rush to get home then, and thus they were impatient. That was when Sanzo could practice his patience and work information from them easily; just push a few buttons and get what he wanted with very little resistance. But this late the only people that would be awake were rebellious teenagers, housewives, and drunkards at the tavern.

_The tavern..._

He remembered what the innkeeper had told him about Goku, about the two people that had escaped the tavern alive. No one else seemed to think it strange, but it struck him odd that out of so many people, two just so happened to escape a rampage alive-- and, from what little he knew, unharmed.

It was a good lead, actually. Sanzo didn't buy it, what everyone said about Goku being possessed and killing so many people. The boy was crazy, perhaps, maybe having some sort of mental illness, but he wasn't a killer. Even with the blood that had been all over him earlier... something just told him that the boy was innocent, just as the voice within his head had claimed.

_            didn't do it_

So if Goku hadn't done it, someone else had to have killed all those people. And if it hadn't been Goku, then there was a pretty good chance it was...

"Sanzo?"

Already he was beginning to regret giving his name to the boy. Sighing in annoyance, Sanzo pushed himself off the bed and into a standing position. He immediately proceeded to put on his boots and strap his sword back to his waist. The shoulder guards were unnecessary, something he had only worn in the first place because it was required for knights from Ashemore. Once he was well out of that kingdom, he hadn't given them a second thought until he reached the town.

When Goku tried to follow him out, Sanzo felt his irritation snap. He shoved the scraggly boy back, glaring. "Don't follow me."

Goku glared back. "_Nani__ shitten da yo?!_"

Not understanding him grated on Sanzo's nerves even more than it would have if he could comprehend what Goku was saying. He had a fleeting wish to be able to communicate properly with him, simply so he could make it clear that he didn't want the brat hanging around him, but that wish was quickly chased away. "Stay here," was all he could think to say.

Still Goku tried to follow him. Sanzo ended up tugging on his hair again, snarling obscenities that would have horrified the honorable dead. More shouting and confusion ensued, but in the end Sanzo caved. It wasn't from weakness, of course, simply because he was struck by the realization that he might be able to meet someone that could translate a few decent messages he had for the boy.

However, he wasn't about to be followed around by a child that looked as though he had been wrestling with wolves all day. Goku was clean, but his clothes were rumpled and his hair a stringy, tousled mess.

"Who the _hell_ raised you, anyway?" Sanzo muttered as he went in search of something -- anything -- that would be able to tame the wild mane of hair that was Goku's. Eventually he found a woman's brush in the bathroom, which would have to do. Goku protested at first, but the indignant cries grew fewer and further between as the knots were worked out of his hair.

Even brushed, the boy's hair was still rough and tousled. Try as he might, Sanzo couldn't get the short hair on top to calm down. He gave up quickly.

However, the long mess of hair at the end was annoying.

Sanzo glared down at Goku. He had no extra clothes for the brat -- really, his own were _far_ too big -- and he was past frustration at having to take care of a child. "Forget it," he muttered, storming out the door.

This time Goku was hesitant to follow. Sanzo felt a vein pulse dangerously in his forehead. Whirling back to the room, he growled, "If you're coming, then come _on_, you stupid monkey! You're wasting my time."

Goku obviously didn't understand, but at the urgency in the man's voice he scrambled to follow. He still looked unkempt with his clothes and loose hair, but Sanzo was loathe to do anything about it now. The boy hummed the same strange tune Sanzo had heard him singing in the bathhouse earlier that day, bouncing on the balls of his feet as they walked. How one person could have so much energy, Sanzo didn't think he'd ever understand.

No one bothered to talk to or stop them on their way out. Even so, Sanzo could feel the wary and hateful glares directed toward Goku. If the supposedly demon-possessed child noticed, he didn't give any indication of it. If anything, he was smiling as he walked.

Outside it was darker. The sky was littered with a few stars here and there, pale in contrast to the pure silver crescent of a waning moon. In two or three days the moon would be swallowed up by the night sky in a night often known as Pure Darkness. Sanzo thought it ridiculous, but many people seemed to take the name seriously. Even with their torches and lamps, even with the light of many stars, everyone seemed to be afraid of the monthly Pure Darkness.

No one knew what sort of superstition was tied behind the name; even so, the mention of it would make the average man's face pale. Perhaps once, long ago, the nights of Pure Darkness had always held some sort of evil, but nowadays such a thing was unheard of. Even so, people were cautious. Well... either that, or just plain stupid. Sanzo believed the latter.

If Goku knew about the superstition, he didn't seem to be alarmed by it. Most people would hurry indoors on the nights the moon began to wane past the semi-circle. However, Goku was kicking at pebbles in the deserted rode and humming his odd little ditty as though he hadn't a care beyond the moment he lived in.

Suddenly the boy looked up, his face half hidden in shadow because of the odd streetlamp lighting. "Sanzo, _doko__ e itte iru ka?_"

Sanzo thought he had heard the boy say that before, but he wasn't sure. He still had no idea what it meant. Because of this, he didn't answer and kept walking. That didn't seem to tide over well with Goku, who tugged on his gloved arm. "Sanzo? _Doko__ e itte iru ka?__ Doko?"_

Sanzo jerked his arm away, snarling. "Don't touch me! Damn brat."

"Sanzooo..."

Now the kid was whining. Cursing aloud, Sanzo quickened his footsteps in hopes of reaching the tavern quicker. Much to his dismay, Goku didn't seem to have any trouble keeping up. The kid was literally a bundle of energy.

_What in the hell was he?_

The tavern couldn't come into sight soon enough for him. All around them were houses upon houses. As they drew to the center of Tevhesta the houses slowly transformed into shops, and on their way to the outskirts the shops melted back into houses. Everything was so perfectly in order. Any upstairs lights were turned off. The only lights that shone were the soft glows of candlelight in some downstairs windows and the burning streetlamps.

Sanzo turned corner after corner, half hoping Goku would get lost. Like a keen dog, the boy seemed to catch on to his scent if he lost sight of Sanzo and would reappear in seconds. It was uncanny, unnerving, and certainly annoying as hell.

Then as he turned another corner, Sanzo found himself facing a small building that broadly advertised the words _Local Tavern_ in large, elegant script. Sanzo arched an eyebrow.

That was when Goku, hurrying to catch up, also turned the corner and crashed right into him. Both tumbled to the ground with a loud crash and an even louder curse.

Had anyone been able to peer beneath the hood, they would have been surprised to see his face. He would have seemed to gentle, too kind, too _pretty_ to belong in a place filled with smoke and liquor and loud laughter. At best his laughter had only amounted to a gentle chuckle, which would have seemed odd-- to anyone that could see his face.

Fortunately for him, he always made sure his hood was drawn so far down that only the tip of his nose to his chin showed. Though quiet, he wore always a faint smile that hinted he was far from solemn. One hand came up to reach beneath his white top and draw out a silver necklace shaped like a mildly distorted cross. He quickly dropped it beneath his robes and turned his head to the man sitting beside him.

Unlike him, his companion was far from hesitant to show his face in public. Long red hair fell to his shoulders, contrasting with his dark eyes. He wore a confident smirk as he gazed at the cards in his hand, his pose relaxed with one arm slung over the chair he sat in. Three girls surrounded him, giggling and cheering him on. He seemed to enjoy the attention.

A third man occupied the table. Unlike the other two, he wasn't smiling. He was very different from the usual player; he was only confident when he believed he should be, and wasn't the type to sulk when he lost. Not a very fun player, in one man's opinion, but good.

Unfortunately -- and unknown -- to this man, his eyes were easy to read. The brown irises were nearly black in colour, but his thoughts were transparent through them anyway. When they lit up, the red-haired man could already predict the outcome of the game.

"Full house," the man said in a surprisingly soft voice. He spread his cards out to prove his statement, smiling. "What are you going to do now?"

The red-haired man raised both eyebrows as though in surprise. "Ah, good hand there, Yasuo." He grinned, placing his cards down face-up. "Four of a kind. Just barely beat you, didn't I?"

Yasuo sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. It creaked beneath the broad man's weight. "You have the devil's luck, Gojyo."

"Doesn't he, though?" one woman with rich brown hair purred, leaning precariously over Gojyo's shoulder.

Gojyo grinned. "It comes when you inherit his looks, too." The girls giggled at this, and out of the corner of his eye he saw his hooded friend's lips twitch into a genuine smile. "Looks like drinks are on me again."

Yasuo rolled his eyes and stood. "No, thanks. If I stick around any longer you'll drain me dry." With that, he nodded and sauntered out.

Smirking, Gojyo said, "Too bad. Sometimes I hope I'll meet someone else who can beat me, you know. For a moment I almost thought it would be him."

"Someone else?" one of the more shapely females breathed.

Tilting his head slightly toward his hooded companion, Gojyo said calmly, "One person only."

"Ah, but if you have the devil's luck, what kind of luck could he have?"

"A god's, obviously."

One woman giggled and sauntered over to the hooded man. "It's a shame you always keep that hood down," she said to him, placing a slim hand on his shoulder. She smiled winningly, even though it was doubtful the man could see it. "You have such a lovely smile. I'll bet you have beautiful eyes, too."

Her hand moved to his hood, obviously intending to draw it back. What happened next startled nearly everyone present.

Gojyo's hand shot out, clasping her wrist before she could hook her fingers on the white material. The hooded man's hand had been halfway up, prepared to gently dislodge her, but now it fell back into his lap. Surprised, the woman looked at Gojyo.

Dark eyes narrowed. "It's rather impolite to uncover the mystery man, isn't it, Nenet?" Silence passed between the two, and just as Nenet was beginning to appear unnerved Gojyo smiled charmingly. "Besides, a little mystery in our lives can't hurt anyone, right?"

Her eyes lit up as though in understanding, "Ohh, I see."

Still gripping her wrist, although a bit gentler now, Gojyo said, "So it would only be right to apologize, wouldn't it?"

It was amazing how he could use such words but still manage to make it sound like a simple suggestion. There was no audible bite behind them, and the woman seemed oblivious to the dangerous glint veiled in his eyes.

"Of course," Nenet said, smiling once again at the hooded man. "My apologies."

The slight curve never left the hooded man's lips. He made a couple gestures in the red-haired man's direction. Gojyo released the woman's hand and calmly translated the movements. "It's quite all right." He leaned back in his seat, his eyes focused only on the man beside him. He started to grin. "How about a game then?"

The man raised his hands to reply, but stopped in midair a second time as the front door of the tavern slammed shut. Much to their surprise, Yasuo was hurrying back toward them. He looked frantic and harassed.

"Gojyo!"

"Yasuo!" Gojyo greeted. The hooded man quickly stifled a chuckle.

Yasuo didn't seem to find anything amusing. "That possessed child is out!"

Alarms instantly went off in Gojyo's head. His companion was looking toward him, and Gojyo could picture the mild surprise and worry on his face. The normally smiling lips were drawn into the faintest of frowns. Only Gojyo knew what this man looked like, and not without reason.

Slowly, Gojyo said, "The same one that killed all those people?"

"Yeah. He's just outside with some knight who says he's from Ashemore. Says they're looking for someone, but they're reluctant to let him in with the kid."

"I see," Gojyo said, his dark eyebrows drawn down in a frown. "I think we'd better call it a night, ladies and gentlemen." He pushed his chair back and stood, noting that the hooded man did the same thing. Smiling lazily, he continued. "Not that I'm afraid of them, but it would be a pity to start a fight in here, wouldn't you say?"

"A fight?" Nenet asked, still lingering nearby.

"Isn't it obvious?" For once his smile wasn't charming; Gojyo's smile was similar to a sly fox's. "If I meet him face to face, there'd be a huge mess involved."

Yasuo's voice was unnaturally gruff. "What are you talking about?" Gojyo raised both eyebrows at him.

"I'm saying I'd have to kill him, of course. You don't think I'd let the animal get away with what he did, do you?"

To say that Sanzo was in a bad mood would have been an understatement. To say he he was angry wouldn't have properly summed it up, either. To say that he was furious and ready to strike down the next unfortunate soul to cross his path was just about right.

What irritated him even further was that his mind seemed to unconsciously think Goku was an exception to that striking down.

"Sanzo? _Nani__ o shite iru ka?_"

As Goku continued to bombard him with questions he didn't understand, Sanzo felt his aggravation switch to another source. At first he had been angry at being turned away simply because Goku was with him -- apparently it didn't matter if the boy was tame or not anymore; he was going to be hated either way -- and now he was getting angry simply because he couldn't understand the child.

"Would you shut up already?" he snapped.

Goku blinked. "_Nani__?_"

He couldn't be sure, but Sanzo had heard _that_ particular word often enough to guess that it meant _what_. It seemed likely, especially since the boy's eyes were always filled with confusion when he said it.

It didn't give him any relief to think that he had successfully translated a word. Instead, it made Sanzo even more irritable because he knew he couldn't respond to it properly. Shaking his head, he waved his hand in dismissal, hoping Goku would get the point. Perhaps he did; the boy fell silent and didn't speak again until they reached the inn.

From inside wafted a variety of delicious smells, as though someone were busy in the kitchens making dinner. Sanzo realized he hadn't eaten anything other than the dried meat he had taken along with him on the road. He had better get something to eat.

Goku caught the scent about the same time he did. The boy suddenly perked up, sniffing loudly. "Sanzo! _Harahetta__!_"

_And just what the hell does that mean?_ the knight thought irritably. _Food?_

Whining and tugging at his shirt, Goku looked up at the man. "_Harahetta__!__ Banmeshi wa!"_

Sanzo growled, shaking the hand off. "All right, I get it! You're hungry. Get off me!"

Goku tilted his hand, one hand still hesitantly hovering near the man as though afraid he was going to disappear. Rolling his eyes, Sanzo started for the stairs.

The indignant cry was loud and made him cringe. "_Banmeshi__ wa dou nanda yo?!_" Even so, Sanzo didn't pause as he continued for his room. He heard Goku cry out before scrambling to follow him. Quickening his footsteps, Sanzo made it to the room first and slammed the door shut.

"Sanzo!"

_Obnoxious brat,_ he thought, sighing to himself as he grabbed his pouch and tied it to his belt. He hadn't thought to bring money to the tavern -- he had intended to go there to interrogate, not to drink -- but he was sure it was essential for dinner. The innkeeper hadn't said whether the room price included meals or not.

When Sanzo opened the door he was unprepared for the boy to go crashing into him-- again. Apparently Goku had been leaning against the door, waiting. Cursing, Sanzo kicked at him. "Get _off_ me!"

Even as he scurried out of Sanzo's way, Goku blurted, "_Gomen__! Daijoubu da?"_

_He's way more trouble than he's worth,_ Sanzo thought, settling for a glare as he picked himself up and stormed out. He heard Goku following him. **_Way_**_ more trouble than he's worth. Why the hell did I have to pick up the extra baggage?_

He couldn't remember why, but what Sanzo _did_ remember was that the voice had been loud and annoying. It had grated on his nerves, causing him to snap faster than he usually did. He found that the closer he was to Goku, the quieter the voice was. He desperately hoped that it wasn't a permanent situation. Sanzo wanted to be rid of the child, not attached to the hip his entire life. The prospect was almost frightening.

Sanzo shook his head, pushing the boy in front of him. "Come on. Let's just get something to eat. Maybe it'll shut you up."

That was the first and last time Sanzo offered to feed the boy without thinking first.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Was what really necessary?"

"The lie."

One eyebrow rose. "Every lie I told was necessary."

"I see."

"You're humoring me, aren't you?"

A soft chuckle sounded. "Perhaps a little."

"Son of a bitch..."

"Hm."

Gojyo was sitting backwards in a chair, a cigarette in one hand and five cards in the other. He had intended to play a game in the tavern but had to postpone until they got home. Now he and his companion sat in the tiny kitchen, playing poker and drinking alcohol.

Well, _he_ was drinking alcohol.

Whatever privacy he felt he needed in the tavern, Gojyo's companion had abandoned it once they locked the door behind them. Without the white hood obscuring his features, it was plain to see that he was a handsome man. Dark brown, almost black hair was cut short in the back while the bangs in front were long enough to almost completely hide his right eye. Both eyes were a rich forest green, a colour Gojyo only half-teasingly told him were pretty.

Glancing up from his hand, Gojyo frowned. "Why don't you take that damn mage outfit off? It's going to be warm tonight."

His friend's eyes were most certainly pretty, but they were also far from expressive. He had the perfect poker face, which seemed to only enhance his luck at that game. "But Gojyo, I _am_ a mage."

"Not in here. Here you're Hakkai." Gojyo brought the cigarette to his lips, inhaling. "Besides, white bothers me."

"Oh?" Hakkai set his cards on the table, calmly stating, "Straight," before he proceeded to untie the rope at his waist.

Gojyo stared at his hand before sighing and tossing his cards face-down on the table. "I wasn't joking back there. You have a god's luck."

"I'd rather not be associated with a god," Hakkai replied, his voice muffled because he was pulling the white robes over his head.

"Hm? Why not?"

The brunette's dark blue shirt rode up as the mage robes caught it. After a brief struggle, Hakkai finally managed to remove it and stood to drape it over his chair. Gojyo made a face; Hakkai was disturbingly like a housewife at times.

"Several reasons," Hakkai said calmly, smoothing his shirt as he sat back down. "Gods are supposedly merciful-- some of them, anyway. And their fortune is usually filth; I'd rather not have to soil my hands."

Gojyo smirked. "Careful... or they shall smite thee."

A real smile touched Hakkai's lips as he shook his head in amusement. He reached out to gather and shuffle the cards. "Unlike so many others, I'm not afraid of their wrath."

"Ohh, a brave soul, are we? How noble. How wonderful. How positively evil."

"I'm the evil one?" Hakkai gave him a meaningful look.

Gojyo's smile was a bit sheepish, an expression that no one else could force out of him. "Ah, right, I forgot. I'm the drinker, the smoker, the womanizer, the real gambler..."

"The _real_ gambler?"

"Close enough to him."

The cards slapped together audibly as Hakkai's hands performed the simple trick of shuffling. "Then again, you were probably right the first time." He dealt out the cards. Gojyo picked his up, eyeing them.

"Yeah? How's that?"

"Because I'm the killer."

Gojyo blinked, staring at the man before a grin slowly spread across his face.

"Yes," he said matter-of-factly. "Yes you are."

Hakkai smiled back, laying his hand down again. "Full house."

"_Damn_!"

*

_Na,_ Sanzo... _akumu__ da?_ – Hey, Sanzo… was it a bad dream?

_Nani__ shitten da yo?!_ – What was that for?!

Sanzo, _doko__ e itte iru ka?_ – Sanzo, where are we going? (the following part was simply Goku nagging, "Where are we going? Where?")

_Nani__ o shite iru ka?_ – What happened?

_Harahetta__! Banmeshi wa!_ – I'm hungry! I want dinner!

_Banmeshi__ wa dou nanda yo?!_ – What about dinner?!

_Gomen__! Daijoubu da?_ – Sorry! You okay?


	3. Games

**:: ****Valley**** of ****Blood**** :****:**

_Gensomaden__ Saiyuki_

Disclaimer: I don't own Gensomaden Saiyuki, which rightfully belongs to Minekura Kazuya.

Rating: PG

Pairings: eventual Sanzo/Goku

Warnings: AU, likely OOCness, language

Thanks to: Everyone who helped with my Japanese in the previous chapter. It was muchly appreciated.

Notes: It's a bit shorter than the previous chapters. Gah. But I finally got it done, and that's what's important, right? Right. ^_^;;

Quick note: no need to point out the issue with Gojyo's eyes. I have an explanation all ready for that, so don't worry about it. Okay? ^^

Feel free to correct me in my Japanese. I could always use it. Constructive criticism and feedback appreciated, as always.

Chapter Three: Games

The first thing Sanzo decided when he woke up was that he never wanted to have anything to do with children. Any thoughts he had ever briefly -- if at all -- entertained that concerned settling down with a woman properly was killed long ago. That morning it had just been killed a second time, confirming that the idea was dead and gone.

"_Ohayo!_"

Despite their arguing the night before (it had gone on for nearly an hour, even though neither had any idea what the other had been shouting) Goku seemed to be in a cheerful mood this morning. Just watching him bounce on the balls of his feet, one wouldn't be able to guess that he had nearly been killed the day before. The only reminder of that was the cut on his arm, still wrapped in the white cloth Sanzo had provided.

Scowling, Sanzo shoved the boy away from him. "Damn brat. I'll get up when I'm ready."

Goku blinked. "_Nani?_"

Sanzo sighed, ready to hit himself with sheer exasperation. He was tired because they had been up all the way into very early morning, fighting because Goku couldn't seem to take the hint to get away from the bed and sleep on the floor. Rather than feel satisfied that he had won in the end, Sanzo was cross. He was _not _in the mood to put up with this boy.

Then again, when was he?

Goku was shaking him, much to his annoyance. "_Okite__!__ Mou asa da yo!"_

"Knock it off!"

By then he was too awake to go back to sleep anyway. Sanzo grudgingly got up, and when he went to take a bath he discovered it was already fairly late into the morning. That annoyed him further. There was no telling if the man he sought had slipped out of town overnight-- if he had been here at all.

Bath time proved to be another messy affair. For some reason Goku seemed to think that Sanzo wanted to play with him, so he had started a water fight.

"_Ne__, _Sanzo! _Mite!_"

More out of reaction than anything else, Sanzo glanced up just in time to get a face full of warm bathwater. He spluttered, shaking the water from his hair and eyes before he glared at the grinning child. "Brat," he growled, shoving Goku away from him. "Can't you even take a bath quietly?!"

"_Asobu__!_" More water was flung his way, and without thinking Sanzo swiped his hand through the water in retaliation. A string of curses fell from his mouth, but Goku just laughed-- _cackled_ was more like it, thought Sanzo furiously, brining his arms up in a futile attempt to block the water being sent his way.

Afterwards, he realized that yelling at the boy while splashing him back wasn't exactly the best way to get a child to calm down, especially when said child had no idea what he was yelling. No wonder Goku hadn't been able to take a hint.

The boy's long hair still bothered Sanzo for reasons he couldn't explain. Now that he'd had a good night's (or perhaps a good morning's) rest and a (semi) comfortable bath, he was thinking more clearly. It occurred to him that he could use the strip of cloth he used to tie his hair back to keep Goku's under control. There was more protesting and incomprehensible arguing, but in the end Goku's hair had been pulled back in a much neater ponytail.

Goku fingered the cloth, looking surprised for some reason. Then he grinned up at the man. "_Sankyuu_!"

It sounded eerily close to _thank you_, so Sanzo decided to dismiss it as that.

What little of morning left was spent catching up on the local news as Goku happily helped himself to a late breakfast. Watching the boy eat, Sanzo was admittedly amazed that he even had an appetite after last night. Had the villagers starved him or was he naturally this way? It was something he would have to muse over later, if at all.

Still, enough was enough. Scowling, Sanzo threatened Goku's hand with his fork when he reached for third helpings. "You've had enough," he growled.

The meaning must have been clear, especially since the man was wielding a sharp utensil, because Goku scowled. "_Kechi!_"

Simply because the word sounded insulting, Sanzo smacked the boy upside the head. Goku spent the remainder of breakfast nursing a sore skull, muttering incomprehensibly, and snatching food when Sanzo wasn't looking.

Once that tiring affair was over and done with, Sanzo paid the bill while mentally swearing he would drop the brat off _soon_, before he sucked all the money from his pouch. A knight only got paid so much and Sanzo knew for certain that he couldn't afford the extra baggage any more than he could afford the entire kingdom of Ashemore.

He needed to spend the rest of the day looking for the wanted man. Sanzo knew he had wasted far too much precious time as it was and that if he kept at it he would never get this done. It was a pain, but a job was a job. He was _going_ to find this man even if it killed him in the process.

It was this reasoning that made him determined to get rid of Goku today.

"Sanzo, _doko__ iku?_"

Was he simply so bored that he insisted on talking even though he knew very well that Sanzo couldn't understand? Sanzo frowned at the boy, shaking his head without saying anything. Goku blinked and tilted his head to the side. When Sanzo moved to leave, Goku followed.

Sanzo pushed him back. "No," he snapped. "You're staying here."

Then again, what the hell was _he_ doing, ordering a brat around? All Sanzo could hope was that Goku would at least understand from the roughness in the man's voice.

Goku blinked again, looking horribly confused. "No?" he repeated, his voice thick as he repeated the foreign word.

"That's right," Sanzo agreed. "No. Stay _here_."

"No?"

His head began to ache; Sanzo could literally feel the vein in his forehead throb along with his heartbeat.

Thinking that he was doing something right, Goku grasped the knight's arm and tugged. "No," he repeated excitedly. "_Ne, ne, tadashii desu ka?_"

Sanzo gave up. He turned to leave, but Goku was gripping his arm tightly. His strength was startling. "Sanzo, _tadashii desu ka?_" he repeated, looking annoyed.

_What right do _you_ have to me annoyed with _me_, damned monkey child..._

"Sanzo!"

Without warning his hand came up, dislodging the boy's hold and crashing into his face at about the same time. Sanzo's knuckles met teeth; the impact made him wince.

To his surprise, Goku didn't cry out. He was staring at the wall, seemingly stunned by the hit. And though the hit had been unintentional, it _had_ achieved what Sanzo had wanted in the first place. Therefore, he wasn't sorry for what had happened. He had to tell himself that a few times before he found his voice, and when he did it came out low and dark. "So now you get it. Don't bother me."

This time Goku didn't react when he moved. Golden eyes were fastened to the wall, the surprise drained from them, leaving them with a look that was almost disturbingly empty. Sanzo shrugged off the chills and left. He had a job to do and he refused to be hindered by that pest's presence.

"You may want to stay inside tonight."

If the comment struck him as odd, Hakkai didn't show it. Not once had he looked up, even when he had heard the front door slam shut. Gojyo had a bad habit of shutting doors too loudly-- then again, it wasn't necessarily a _bad_ habit. Hakkai preferred to think of it as a _defining character trait_; that way it wouldn't sound so bad.

He sipped at his cup of green tea, eyes lowered to a book he had pinned down with his free hand. "And why would I want to do that?"

Hakkai liked to think he had good peripheral vision. No, he _knew_ he had good peripheral vision, which was why he could see the redhead pull out a chair and sit in it backwards, facing him with an expression that was oddly set. Something was obviously worrying Gojyo.

The redhead jerked his head once toward the front door. "That guy Yasuo told us about is going around asking questions. Seems like he's looking for you."

"That's silly," Hakkai said calmly, turning the page. "He doesn't know me."

"How can you be so sure?"

That was when the brunette finally looked up, his smile holding a glint of malice he knew Gojyo would recognize instantly. "Because if he did, he'd be looking for Cho Hakkai, not Cho Gonou."

It still felt weird, using his new name. It was a weak protection at the moment, really not much of one. But what else could he do? He couldn't change his appearance; even after a haircut and (interesting) change of clothes he was still easily recognizable as Cho Gonou, wanted mass murderer. All one had to do was remove the hood he wore in public presence. Last night hadn't been a close call -- even without Gojyo's help, Hakkai would have been able to stop the woman -- but it had been far too close for his comfort.

_And that,_ he decided without raising his eyes, _is strange as well._ Right off the bat Gojyo had recognized who he was, but he had opted for protecting and hiding the man rather than turning him in.

_"What did you expect?"_ he remembered the man once saying. _"What fun would it be to turn you in? I need a little more excitement in my life. Hiding a wanted man sounds like just the thing."_

By then Hakkai had been around Gojyo long enough to tell the difference between his jokes and his hidden meanings. That had been one of his hidden meanings; even in the guise of a joke Hakkai could recognize it. Both understood the same thing: that neither knew why they were doing this. It simply made sense to; it felt right; it just clicked into place with the rest of their lives. That's all there was to it.

Gojyo didn't seem convinced; his shrug was meant to make him seem uncaring, but his shoulders were too tense to carry off the image convincingly. "Maybe so, but there's something different about this one."

This man wasn't the first to come looking for Gonou. "What's that?"

"The hell if I know. Just... different." Gojyo looked irritated at his inability to explain. He stood and stalked into the kitchen, returning moments later with beer. Hakkai didn't bother hiding an amused smile.

"I suppose I could deal with staying inside for one night," he said, watching for Gojyo's reaction.

The redhead snorted. "It wouldn't make much of a difference for you anyway. You can't talk to anyone."

"On the contrary." Gojyo gave him a puzzled look, so Hakkai elaborated. "It would make a fairly large difference."

"Yeah?"

Hakkai bent the corner of the page he was on to mark his place, closing the book so he could give his companion his utmost attention. Green locked with black. Hakkai knew that if he kept a steady gaze on his friend, it would be that much easier to convey his thoughts. Besides, he found Gojyo's eyes intriguing. Perhaps because he could read more into him than anyone else, because the eyes were the window to the soul but Gojyo had shut them to everyone else, because for some reason or another only Hakkai was allowed to make and maintain eye contact for such a long period of time.

Gojyo paused with his drink halfway to his lips, staring back curiously at the brunette, before he set the glass down again.

Smiling faintly, Hakkai spoke. "The people here are interesting. To me," he added at Gojyo's arched eyebrow. "Very different from the people in Ashemore. I like watching them, thinking about what kind of lives each individual must lead. It's like inventing my own story. Perhaps a certain man is a baker in this town and he comes to the tavern to have a good time. Perhaps the loud, rowdy man in the corner is a mild-mannered father at home. It's just interesting to think about."

"You know, coming from anyone else I would say that's creepy beyond all reason."

Hakkai chuckled. "Is that so?"

"Yup." Gojyo lowered his eyes, picking up his drink again. "But it's you, so I guess it's not too disturbing."

"That's a bit of a skewed way to view it, Gojyo."

"Yeah, well..."

Hakkai took a sip of his tea, realizing it was getting cold. He stood to make more, but paused to glance at the redhead. "One night can't hurt." He had said it before, but then he was just testing Gojyo, wanting to see his reaction. Now he was being serious.

"Right," Gojyo agreed. "One night won't hurt us."

"Us?"

Rolling his eyes, Gojyo explained. "D'you seriously think I'm going to leave you behind? That guy might come around knocking door to door."

"I won't answer it."

"But then it may be someone important," Gojyo said firmly, his eyes burning as he glared defiantly at the brunette. "Besides, all the guys at the tavern suck at poker."

The corner of Hakkai's mouth curled up. "Isn't that why you always go after him?"

"Like you said, one night won't hurt."

In other words, Gojyo was going to stay with him and keep him company whether he liked it or not. The extension was welcome, more than welcome, and Hakkai honestly was grateful for it. Really, how could he have expected Gojyo to do otherwise? That strange connection between then was at work again, almost as though fate were drawing them together with rope woven of lead. At the same time, it almost felt as though even this wasn't complete enough, that there was a string or two missing from the pattern.

"How odd," he murmured, more to himself than Gojyo.

"Pardon?"

"Ah... no." He smiled. "It's nothing."

Gojyo knew otherwise, but didn't press. "Well then, I'll just break out a new deck of cards."

"Another one?"

Shooting him a plaintive look, Gojyo said, "We've been using the same deck of cards for nearly two weeks now. It's getting old, and you've been getting suspiciously good hands lately. Yes, another one."

"Ah, I see. Should I make tea for you as well?"

"Don't even joke. More beer's fine."

What a comfortable atmosphere, Hakkai thought as he began to heat water. It was very nice, almost too comfortable, especially considering his recent loss. Sometimes he felt a pang of guilt for not dwelling on it more often, but other times he was able to tell himself it was okay not to think about it. No one would blame him for it, especially not her. Right now was one of those times.

Besides, Gojyo had pretty much said it himself. His first priority should be to stay low, at least until the knight from Ashemore left, and _then_ he could start worrying about other things.

_What... just happened?_

It probably hadn't "just happened," seeing he had been alone in the room for quite some time now. It felt like hours, but it couldn't have been more than thirty minutes. Not once during those thirty minutes; he kept staring blankly at the wall before him, no thoughts going through his head whatsoever.

Now, though, he finally moved. Slowly, he brought his head around to stare at the closed door. Part of him thought that if he opened the door the blonde man would be standing there, glaring and saying something in that odd language of his. Another, more rational part said that Sanzo was long gone; he was _not_ waiting for him, no matter how much he wished it otherwise.

_I... I don't get it._

He was honestly confused. Here he thought he had done something right; he had learned a word of that man's language. He thought he'd understood it, but the man's reaction had been all wrong. Obviously he had misunderstood.

Then he realized his legs were aching from standing so long. Gingerly, he moved over to the bed and sat down. Last night he had gotten into a fight with Sanzo. He hadn't understood a word said, but after being shoved down several times he _had_ understood that he was supposed to sleep on the floor-- an idea that didn't go over well at all. In the end, the man's voice started to sound hoarse from far too much use and the back of Goku's skull began to throb from the numerous hits. So he gave up.

But right now Sanzo wasn't here. He was outside somewhere, and he obviously didn't want Goku with him.

_That must be it,_ the brunette realized. _All this time he's just been trying to get rid of me, right?_

But how was that possible? Why would he try to get rid of him after all he had done to save and help Goku? He had offered his hand to him, the only person to reach out and free him, seeming ready to believe his innocence no matter what anyone else thought. Goku _knew_ he had felt a connection with that man then. He'd never had such an experience before, but he trusted his instincts, and instinct told him that he and Sanzo had somehow... connected. Instinct also told him that was rare and special, and selfishness demanded that he hold on to it.

In the end, he was simply a selfish child, following Sanzo everywhere he went. He hadn't even known the man a full day, but already it was clear to him where he wanted to be. He wanted to follow this Sanzo person to the gates of hell, no matter how hard or difficult or painful the road.

More than freeing him, Sanzo had also fed him, bathed him, cleaned his wounds, even found a way to keep his long hair from getting all over the place. Automatically Goku's hands went to the back of his head, his fingers toying with the white cloth that bound his hair back.

If Sanzo was willing to do so much for him, why would he want him to leave? Goku couldn't understand it. There had to be another explanation; there simply _had_ to be. He wasn't sure what, but there was one somewhere.

Was he simply annoyed by a kid tagging along with him everywhere? If that was it, Goku wished he could speak the man's language simply to tell him not to worry about that; he wasn't a child, he was fifteen years old. By definition, he was a teenager. That was different from being a child.

Unfortunately, wishes were simply wishes. There was nothing he could do about that.

Then again, there may have been another reason.

Perhaps... he hadn't meant to hit the boy in purpose in the first place.

Goku brightened immediately at the concept. That just could be it! He had been pulling on Sanzo's arm, and perhaps he had been tugging too hard -- Goku knew he could be careless with his strength at times -- and that was why Sanzo had tried to swat him away. But because Goku had been too close, perhaps... perhaps _that_ was why he had been struck! It made perfect sense, and Goku was relieved to have found a reason.

And now that he had found a reason, Goku was growing restless. He slid off the bed, pacing. Quickly pacing became boring, so he opted for exploring the tiny room. There wasn't much to see or find; Sanzo had brought precious little with him, and he must have taken anything of interest with him.

_Then again, he's certainly more interesting than anything else,_ Goku thought happily, leaning out the window to see what was going on outside. For a few good moments he didn't even see his surroundings; all he saw was a mental image he had of the man dressed as a knight, proud and dignified and shining a bright gold that threatened to blind even the sun.

Goku paused to think that over before making a face. He wasn't one to talk, but he was sure no man of dignity would thump a boy on the head and yell words that sounded like curses no matter what language they were uttered in. He didn't know much about people in general, but he had heard a fair amount of stories from the village on the other side of Tevhesta's woods-- where, incidentally, he had learned just about everything he knew. The language over there was vastly different from the primary language in Tevhesta, though a good handful of Tevhestians understood both. Perhaps if the villagers hadn't hated him so much, they would have been more than happy to translate Sanzo's odd words for him.

Why _did_ they hate him in the first place? Goku was sure some of them had seen him occasionally before; sometimes he would wander into town in search of food, and once in a while he could stumble across someone kind enough to feed him. He could fend for himself well enough, but cooked food proved to have its own amazing tastes. When he couldn't find some small animal to kill and eat -- usually birds, occasionally rodents -- he would wander into town. Eating their food became something of a treat to him.

But now the villagers hated him for some reason, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. As a general rule, Goku didn't hurt people that didn't harm him first. Sure, maybe if he had caught a hunter trying to kill a wolf pup -- he considered wolves to be a kin of sorts -- he could get defensive and do just enough damage to drive the man away, but he was just protecting what he felt was his. They did it, too, but he never got angry at _them_ for it. So what on earth was it?

It was confusing and frustrating to think about. Goku decided to put it aside for later ponderings.

He focused on his surroundings. Outside he could see people walking below him. Few took notice of him, but those that did either frowned and turned away or paled and hurried onward. That both puzzled and disheartened him.

_I wonder if I can find Sanzo?_

It had been an idle thought at first, but it quickly turned into a fun game. There were too many people and far too many buildings for him to locate the man without leaving the room. He kept a careful watch of every corner, starting at every flash of blonde hair. Most of the time he only caught sight of some young schoolgirls, probably about his age, though definitely taller than him.

Maybe _that_ was why Sanzo treated him like a child; because he looked like one. Goku sulked. For once in his life, being small had turned into a disadvantage.

Goku paused, taking a moment to sniff the air. Something smelled awfully familiar...

If he had been a wolf, his ears would have flattened down on his head as the growl worked its way out of his throat. He was itching to go outside and track down that scent, but judging from Sanzo's actions earlier, the man would be awfully angry if he found out.

Then again, who said Goku was his pet? Grinning to himself, Goku checked to make sure Sanzo wasn't on one of the nearby streets before he clambered out the window, jumping two stories to the ground and landing rather hard on his feet. The force made him wince and nearly lose his balance. People had stopped; some woman screamed. A man cursed. Everyone else gaped.

Worried that the noise would attract Sanzo, Goku scampered out of sight, squeezing between people and disappearing into the afternoon crowd.

Let the chase begin.

_Ohayo!_ – Good morning!

_Nani__?_ – What?

_Okite__! Mou asa da yo!_ – Wake up! It's morning!

_Ne__, _Sanzo! _Mite!_ – Hey, Sanzo! Look!

_Asobu__!_ – Let's play!

_Sankyuu_! – Thank you!

_Kechi__!_ – Cheapskate!

Sanzo, _doko__ iku?_ – Sanzo, where are you going?

_Ne__, ne, tadashii desu ka?_ – Hey, hey, did I get it right?


End file.
